Toulon

The Rugby Paper are reporting controversial Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal is ready to hand Faletau's current employers Bath a whopping €500,000 transfer fee to buy the 70-times capped Wales No.8 out of the final year of his contract in the west country.

And the three-times kings of Europe are also said to be ready to offer the 27-year-old an eye-popping €1m a year deal to make the move across the Channel to the Stade Felix Mayol.

The 35-year-old midfielder was banished in the 39th minute for a shoulder charge on Clermont's English fullback Nick Abendanon on Sunday.

He joined lock Romain Taofifenua - sinbinned six minutes earlier for stamping on an opponent - in the cooler, leaving Toulon down to 13 men in the early season round two clash.

Clermont - who beat Toulon in the French Top 14 final last June - made the visitors pay with Fijian wing Alivereti Raka scoring after the halftime siren. They scored again through centre Damian Penaud in the 51st minute to extend their lead.

Beaten two years ago by Stade Francais, Clermont also tasted the desperation of defeat in three of the past five European Cup finals - including three weeks ago against Saracens at Murrayfield.

But on Sunday at Stade de France it was their turn to step up from the role of perennial bridesmaids and instead it is Toulon who are left to lament a final curse of their own, having been on the wrong end of four of the last six in the Top 14, although that record is mitigated by their 2014 triumph.

Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has revealed that Nonu has penned a one-year contract extension with the club.

That means the two-time Rugby World Cup winner will stay with the Top 14 outfit until June 2018.

The 34-year-old joined Toulon after helping New Zealand to defend their Rugby World Cup crown at the 2015 tournament in England.

Nonu, who won New Zealand's Kelvin R Tremain Player of the Year award in 2015, battled in his first year with Toulon but has impressed during the 2016/17 season, scoring three tries in 19 matches in all competitions.